International students...

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>How is it that some of these kids are able to get into "elite" Universities (which means they must have "passed" the TOEFL) when they can speak english for sh1t?</p>

<p>Just the other day in a Bio lab one of my regular lab partners was sick, so we got assigned this kid, I think Taiwanese, who spoke with such a weird accent and enunciation that he was next to impossible to understand. We kept having to ask him to repeat things and even then it was difficult. Needless to say getting our report done was much more difficult than usual.</p>

<p>The thing is, I don't think he was stupid, but being able to speak a decent level of English should be a requirement. Instead it seems like alot of these kids are breezing through by segregating themselves with kids of their nationality and using the most "fluent" one to get notes/instructions from. Why do these kids even come here when it doesn't seem like they're even interested in learning the culture/language? They shouldn't be given the spots of bright American kids who would cherish an opportunity to attend a good school just because they were brainwashed to take some test(s).</p>

<p>There should be some kind of interview to prevent this.</p>

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<p>i think it’s pretty impressive to learn a second language fluently (even if he does have an accent) while getting into a good college.</p>

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<p>Wow, i completely disagree.</p>

<p>‘‘being able to speak a decent level of English should be a requirement’’
Are you seriously saying they don’t deserve an education because they don’t speak english as well as you do? I completely agree, however, that they should attempt to intergrate themselves into the society, but on the other hand, thats the way its ALWAYS been, and you can’t deny it!! My school is international, and yet every single ethnic group mingles primarily with themselves, and some of them still have yet to speak proper english, but guess what, it doesn’t really matter because they are still the top students in the school. </p>

<p>There are many bright american students, but its common knowledge Asia, primarily China and India, have the smartest kids come into the States, and THEY are the future einsteins and geniuses (not to say an american isn’t), but most of these kids know hardship, and they know damn well the meaning of an education, and they take advantage of it.</p>

<p>I live in Switzerland, have been here for a while, and I speak french, but with horrible enunciation and accent, and people are constantly asking me to repeat, so as an International Student speaking, I’ve worked extremely hard to learn french and integrate myself in its community, but its not as easy as you might think, considering people like yourselves, arent as understanding of our situation as they perhaps should be.</p>

<p>For someone going to an ‘‘elite school’’ (i assume from your post), I would expect you be to be more understanding and accepting of others situations, considering your ‘‘elite school’’ is probably full of international students.</p>

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<p>The students who come here are trying their best. We’re all in the same boat trying to get a decent education. I don’t think they’re consciously trying to segregate themselves. You made a thread about how you think they are. Maybe, this is why… because those preconceived notions that American students aren’t welcoming are being proved on a daily basis. </p>

<p>We have to get over ourselves.</p>

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<p>I disagree completely. Let me ask you this OP - have you ever thought of studying abroad? How would you feel if they wouldn’t let you study in their country since you’re not fluent in their language? I want to study abroad in Italy, have taken Italian classes, but I’m not fluent - should I not be allowed to study there? Of course not, because then I’ll never learn, and the Italian colleges are so welcoming, they even have classes in English available for foreigners. </p>

<p>I wouldn’t say the Chinese/Indians are smarter than we are. If anything, they just spend a LOT more time studying, especially in Math/Science classes. Some of their parents sacrificed a lot to get them into an elite American college, so they care more about doing well, which is natural. As for international students from Europe, I’ve noticed a lot are simply lazier. In some countries they don’t really get homework in college, they simply have 2 exams a semester and not too much inbetween (or this is what i’ve been told). </p>

<p>I’ve noticed a lot of self-segregation too. Some of the Indians will ask me if I’m south asian (I’m pakistani-american) and they don’t seem interested in me when I tell them i’m American. They didn’t come here for the cultural opportunity, they come here for the education.</p>

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<p>I’d have to disagree, BetterThanYouAre. I spent a year studying abroad in Beijing, and before I left, I didn’t speak much Mandarin. I’m sure the natives were irritated having to deal with me—asking them to speak slower, or sometimes even in English, but eventually I picked up the language.</p>

<p>I think it’s pretty incredible for somebody to put themselves in a situation like that, not only are they in a foreign environment, without anybody they know, and without a strong grasp of the language, but having to take difficult classes at a renown university in another language? That’s pretty awesome.</p>